What is the Best Faux-Beatles Song Ever? You Decide

1. “Lonely Days” by the BeeGees. The verse is a parody of Abbey Road (with touches of “Sun King”), and the chorus is a parody of the Sgt. Pepper album, with the same use of a horn section. For an extra touch, you get the fade out, with one of them imitating Lennon on lead vocals and the others imitating Harrison on backing vocals. The fake Harrison is a nice bonus touch. A strong contender.

2. “So You Are a Star” by the Hudson Brothers. This a straight-up imitation of a Beatles song written and sung by John Lennon. The verses are a clear imitation followed by a thoroughly shameless imitation in the chorus — although the coda sounds like suddenly it’s McCartney singing, with backing vocals by Lennon. The bass line is very much like a Lennon song. The Lennon imitation reaches its climax at 2:54.

3. “Lies” by the Knickerbockers. This is good enough that it almost fooled me. Another imitation Lennon song, this time Lennon in his rocking early Beatles mode. Even the subject matter sounds like early Lennon.

4. “Laura” by Billy Joel. This one has a lot to recommend it. First, it’s a good song on its own. Second, it’s musically sophisticated. Billy Joel is clearly imitating Lennon here, but he shifts in and out of various Lennon modes, so that you know different songs are being sampled or parodied or borrowed from, but you don’t know exactly what. Of course, the opening is straight out of LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS. The guitar sounds like something off the White Album. The guitar playing style is very George Harrison, and the drum fills sound just like Ringo. The melody line takes from Lennon the tendency to use notes that are very close together — as in GIMME SOME TRUTH, LUCY IN THE SKY, HELP and I’M SO TIRED.
Joel also gets credit for not trying to sneak this by anybody. With the other songs, you get the feeling that they were hoping someone might not notice — OR be fooled. But Billy Joel is clearly enjoying himself here.

Anyway, take your pick. And by the way, these were all Lennon parodies. If you know any McCartney parodies, let us know.